3D printing, is a Star Trek Transporter" far behind?

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Here's what I'm proposing. How far into the future do you think we are from placing an item in a scanner and e-mailing it to another scanner which prints it in 3D? Somewhat like a three dimensional fax machine. Does this not seem like a logical next step?

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My son and I were discussing Chester Gould , the Dick Tracy artist . Wrist band radios , two way wrist televisions . They're on the market today as "I - phones and built in personal computers today . I wouldn't be a bit surprised as to teleportation machines or replicators doing dinner .

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You don't have to e-mail it to another scanner. You mail it to a computer that's connected to a 3D printer. And it's already here, and being done in many ways. It ain't Dick Tracy, it's being done now by companies like Shapeways. And it's only going to get better

There are huge, extensive threads on this forum on the subject, and you should look at them before admin moves this thread to God knows where.

Edited 26 Aug 2013 by sjordan2

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Depends. Stuff that's at the resolution of current 3D printers? We're already there. Being able to scan a person, and create a living breathing duplicte of that person at the other end? I think yhou're looking at centuries there, and defintely not in anybody's lifetime.

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Depends. Stuff that's at the resolution of current 3D printers? We're already there. Being able to scan a person, and create a living breathing duplicte of that person at the other end? I think yhou're looking at centuries there, and defintely not in anybody's lifetime.

Except that 3D printing is already capable of replicating human tissue, and is close to replicating entire human organs. It can even print you a chocolate cake.

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You don't have to e-mail it to another scanner. You mail it to a computer that's connected to a 3D printer. And it's already here, and being done in many ways. It ain't Dick Tracy, it's being done now by companies like Shapeways. And it's only going to get better

There are huge, extensive threads on this forum on the subject, and you should look at them before admin moves this thread to God knows where.

I'm aware of those threads, but I feel this is a different topic. I'm not talking about using a 3D graphics program to print. I'm saying place your item on a bed scanner, press send, and it prints out on the other end while the original stays right where it's at.

Depends. Stuff that's at the resolution of current 3D printers? We're already there. Being able to scan a person, and create a living breathing duplicte of that person at the other end? I think yhou're looking at centuries there, and defintely not in anybody's lifetime.

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I'm not talking about using a 3D graphics program to print. I'm saying place your item on a bed scanner, press send, and it prints out on the other end while the original stays right where it's at.

That would be a logical next step. I don't think it is too far away. I have already taken a laser scan of an object, a skull and had it replicated in a 3D printer . The same scan was emailed to an anthropology lab where facial reconstruction was performed. Years ago I had to hand carry the carefully hand reproduced skull to the lab. The lab was in Colorado..........

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I'm aware of those threads, but I feel this is a different topic. I'm not talking about using a 3D graphics program to print. I'm saying place your item on a bed scanner, press send, and it prints out on the other end while the original stays right where it's at.

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I guess I don't understand the original post, then or now. From what I read, we're already there, as stated.

1. Home scanners are already available, but not cheap.

2. Send your properly prepared scans or original files to a company like Shapeways and they'll print the 3D model.

3. Buy a 3D printer from someone like MakerBot and do it yourself, instantly.

I think I'm missing what you're getting at, unless you mean that scanning technology needs to advance. But it's still viable the way it is (though expensive), and you can send your own scans or original designs to be printed out.

Just like the entire history of the home computer world, time and ingenuity will make it all cheaper and more user-friendly. But you can still do it now.

It has absolutely nothing to do with any "prepared files". What I mean is, place your object on the scanner bed just like a piece of paper in a regular scanner/copier. Hit send and the object is scanned, and printed out on the printer you sent it to just like a fax would do. I don't think I can make it any clearer than that?

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It has absolutely nothing to do with any "prepared files". What I mean is, place your object on the scanner bed just like a piece of paper in a regular scanner/copier. Hit send and the object is scanned, and printed out on the printer you sent it to just like a fax would do. I don't think I can make it any clearer than that?

Yes, you could have made it clearer than that, since it cuts out only one step from what is now available - except you will still need to interface with a go-between like Shapeways unless you have your own printer. But your idea is probably just a short time away since everything else is already in place.

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As far as the "Star Trek" reference goes, which I see wasn't really what you were going for, actual "teleportation" is somewhat theoretically possible, but it seems to require manipulation of "wormholes" in space-time, which we don't yet have much of a clue as to how to do, or something called "quantum entanglement", which is actually promising on a limited experimental scale, but still more theory than fact.

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For living things, IMPOSSIBLE, never. But for what this thread implies it needs to, involve a 3d scanner to sample the original create a file, send, receive, and then print. The printing will be fused deposition not the current melted ABS systems for hobbiests. I await your orders Captain, Spock out!!!!

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Just saw this today from Makerbot.It is a 3d scanner that can be used to create a file that can then be printed by a 3d printer. http://store.makerbot.com/digitizer.html If I read it right, it does up to 8x8 inches currently. It's still too exensive for most of us at $1500. But if the techonology follows the same curve as calculators, VCR's and other electronics, it wont be too many years before the quality and resolution will increase and the price will drop. They'll probably be sold cheaply at Megalomart! I suppose that will open up the whole file-sharing issue just like Napster and copyright CD's and stuff, but it would sure be nice to be able to be able to reproduce parts or kits that no longer exist.

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Sorry my last post was a little off topic perhaps. Once this equipment becomes more commonplace, I'm sure that many hobbyists will be passing files back and forth online just like we trade music downloads. It's concievable that the model companies might even start selling digital files in some cases in lieu of actual kits.

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I've read that UPS or Fed Ex is looking at installing 3D printers in their stores...people could bring in files w/ their print jobs or email them to the store.

We've been printing out a bunch of things w/ our Makerbot at my office...mostly practical stuff like iPhone cases and Raspberry Pi cases, but also things like toy robots and tchotckes w/ our corporate logo. One guy printed out a Miata model approx. 1/43rd scale, going to paint it to match his 1:1.

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You don't have to e-mail it to another scanner. You mail it to a computer that's connected to a 3D printer.

Probably 20 years ago I was sending CAD files to remote printers in other buildings and even to Europe. In my last job I did a lot of work with our European folks, talking with them via phone and video chat in the mornings when they were still at work, and sending them files via email and printing directly to the printer in their office in England. A few years ago I had a real estate broker in Madrid take me on a walk through of office space via the camera on his I phone. I later checked out the neighborhood with Google Street View. These are very cool times!